Last Saturday we held our second monthly gathering of the Cornerstone Christian Artist’s Community. We had twenty artists in attendance throughout the day. As we awaited the arrival of Hurricane Irene, I had an opportunity to sow out the community vision.
There is a hurricane coming on our nation. It’s a force that is going to reshape our culture: physically, emotionally, socially, and economically. In its wake Christians are called to respond in three steps: We are called to Pray; We are called to Plan; We are called to Perform.
Pray:
In this cultural hurricane we must come to understand we cannot save the whole world. That is a task beyond us. Praying things like: “God don’t let anything bad happen to anyone anywhere.” Or “Dear Jesus save the whole world.”, while noble are a waste of breath. Our prayers must be “eyes wide open and heart exposed” so to speak. We have to come to it that we are in the end times. Things will be difficult. Bad things will happen. People will be lost. That doesn’t leave us hopeless though. It leaves us with the need to be specific. We aren’t called to save the world. We are called to defend our part of it. So let us pray specifically: “God save my son.”; “God show me how to fund this art project or that music project.”; “God show us how to raise our church missionary budget.”; “God strengthen my pastor and the pastor’s of my town.”; “God show us how to minister effectively so souls will get saved.” In prayer we have to stop losing the trees because of the forest.
Plan:
As we begin to pray specifically God will give us His plans for the things we pray about. Inklings will begin to enter our minds…ideas of what we could do and how. We need to write down these God-given goals and plan how we intend to reach them step by step.
Perform:
Finally we have to do our part. When once God has given us the vision, we have to begin to carry it out trusting that God will meet us each step of the way.
Cornerstone Christian Artist’s Community, is a vision born out of specific prayer. It has been seen that the hurricane will affect the arts in two ways: As the economy dries up so will public funding of the arts. As the spirit of Antichrist rises the tide of wickedness in the arts will rise with him.
The church has the answer to these issues. C.C.A.C. is that answer:
1.Our goal will be to influence the arts in our region for Christ, through our artist’s days apart, by providing a place where artists can come and practice their disciplines in a healthy, peaceful environment based in a Kingdom culture.
2. Our goal will be to provide training, through our artist’s days apart, so that artists may grow and excel in their craft.
3. Our goal will be to provide an opportunity for artists to display their gifts in two yearly art shows and in church settings where appropriate.
4. Our goal will be to bring the artists to the attention of church ministries in order to raise up the next generation of church artists should Jesus tarry.
Perhaps we cannot fix everything in the world but with God’s help we can rebuild our corner of it!
What has God told you to do in your corner of the world?
I love this “Hand in Hand” piece by Sandy Freeman. I am not sure if that is what it is called. But it fits don’t you think? Here’s another piece that was finished for this month’s C.cada community meeting. It’s by Lisa Johnson. What would you entitle it?
I am so excited that each month new work is being brought forth. We are now discussing what is the best way to show our work. Who knows maybe we’ll start the C.cada museum and center for Christ Centered arts!
Reinventing the We'll 